Services > Foreign Body Removal

Foreign Body Removal

It’s not uncommon for parents to panic about a foreign object in their child’s nose or ear. Rest assured that any objects your child puts into their bodies can and will be removed with the utmost care. Should there be an object we cannot remove in our clinic, we will refer you to the appropriate specialist.

What is a Foreign Body?

A foreign body is any object inserted into the human body that shouldn’t be there. While a foreign body can be any household object, some of the most common foreign bodies we see at our clinic include:

  • Small toys or toy parts

  • Coins

  • Pieces of food like peas, nuts and corn

  • Bugs

  • Buttons

  • Beads

Foreign bodies usually do not pose a threat to your child’s health, and we are able to treat most in our clinic. However, if you find that your child has swallowed a battery or a magnet, go immediately to the nearest emergency room! If your child is having difficulty breathing, call 911!

Swallowed Foreign Bodies

Your child swallowing something they shouldn’t isn’t always a reason to panic. First and most important, we must locate the object your child has swallowed with our on-site digital X-ray.

If the foreign object is determined to be non-threatening, we may recommend your child pass the object naturally through their bowels. This means monitoring your child’s stool for the next several days.

If the foreign object that your child swallowed is a threat to their health and well-being, we will recommend you go directly to the emergency room.

Foreign Body Removal from the Nose

Do you suspect your child has a foreign body in their nose but aren’t sure? Some common signs your child may have a foreign body in their nose include:

  • Chronic sinus infections over weeks or months on one side of the nose

  • Bad-smelling discharge coming from one side of the nose

  • Consistent congestion on one side of the nose

Most foreign bodies in a child’s nose can be removed easily without anesthesia or surgical methods.

Foreign Body Removal from the Ear

Do you suspect your child has a foreign body in their ear but aren’t sure? Common signs that there may be something in your child’s ear that shouldn’t be there are:

  • Discharge from the ear

  • Child complaining of pain in the ear

Removal of a foreign body from the ear is typically painless, simple and does not require anesthesia.